Apple-IBM Deal: Trouble for Google, Microsoft

Apple's alliance with IBM will make it harder for Android and Windows Phone to carve a niche in the workplace.

Apple's alliance with IBM will make it harder for Android and Windows Phone to carve a niche in the workplace.

Apple and IBM on Tuesday announced the formation of a partnership to sell iPhones and iPads to enterprise customers and to develop industry-specific apps backed by IBM cloud services.

It's a deal that will benefit Apple and might help IBM. But its real impact will be closing corporate doors to the competition.

With IBM's help, Apple will sell more iOS devices. That matters to Apple. IBM will profit, too, depending on how much IBM gets per device sold. But IBM will be looking for revenue from consulting, support, and cloud services. And it doesn't appear that Apple will be doing much to convince people to use those services or IBM's iOS apps. That's up to IBM's sales team, assisted perhaps by favorable App Store placement.

Given the low regard people have for the usability and design of enterprise applications -- one enterprise software developer has made a habit of calling IBM Lotus Notes "a crime against humanity" -- the deal's major upside for IBM might be subjecting the company's apps to Apple's approval process.

Working with Apple could mean a huge positive for IBM. With so many apple device users and the strength of apple expereince in the user expereince could only mean a better future for IBM cloud to attract more enterprises.